Mail-bag catcher.



G. B. 391311.13.l MAIL BAG' GATGHE'R. APPLICATION FILED SEl T..4, 1907.

908,458. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. B. FIELD.

MAIL BAG CATCHEB. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 4,1907.

908,458.. Patenta Jan. 5,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ww MIU @Warnung 4 I l l I ne: Handig :PE-rsu: ca wnsmumm n. c

GEORGE B. E IELD, oEl PIKE, ARKANSAS.

MAIL-BAG cATcHiER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jari. 5, 1909.

Application led September 4, 1907. Serial No.391/103.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residin at Pike, in the county of Pike and State of kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to mail bag catchers such as are used for receiving a bag delivered from a moving train.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a device of the class described which shall be simple in construction and which will receive the bag and clasp the same firmly, and which will catch a bag even from a rapidly moving train Without undue shockor j ar.

A further object is to provide a suitable crane on the car to coperate with my improved catcher. Y

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view showing one position of the parts. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the main frame of the catcher, parts being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section showing the parts 1n a different position. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that I mount my improved catcher on a suitable post 1 which may be set firmly in the ground or suitably attached to a station platform. At the tap, the post is provided with an upstanding pivot or stud 6 on which turns the main frame of the catcher. This consists of a block 7 having a hole which cooperates with the stud 6 on one side of a balancing member 2 and on the other side of an arm 3. The arm 3 is curved substantially into the arc of a circle and is provided longitudinally through its center with a closed slot 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In

this slot is adapted to move the catching member 4 pivoted at 5 to the block 7. This catching member comprises two arms 8 and 9, each curving inwardly from the pivot in the same direction. The arm 8 is provided at its end with a spring catch 10 which coo crates with a notch on the end of arm 3, as s own in Fig. 3. The under side of the block 5 near its center is provided with a small notch 13 into which fits the end of a leaf spring 12 secured to the post 1. It

will be seenithat this spring by engaging the notch serves to yieldingly maintain the catcher in position.

The apparatus mounted on the car 15 consists of a vertical shaft 16 ivoted at its ends in brackets 17 and provi ed near each end with outstanding arms 18 arranged substantially at right angles to the shaft. These arms 18 consist of spring steel and having a divergent tendency and consequently when the fingers 19 carried by the ends of these arms are pressed toward each other and the rings on the end of a mail bag 14 are slipped over them, the resiliency of the arms 18 serves to hold the fingers 19 rmly in engagement with the rings and at the same time to maintain the bag in a taut or extended condition.

. The operation of my device is as follows: The normal position of the catcher is as shown in Fig. 1 with the arm 8 extended forward almost parallel with the direction of motion of the train and the arm 9 extending toward the track and at substantially right angles thereto. The arms 18 above described support `the mail bag so that the arm 9 lies directl in the path of the bag. When the bag strikes the arm 9 it forces it backward turning the same on the pivot 5, and, the arm 9 passing out through the slot 11, the arm 8 swings across the front of arm 3 and the spring catch 1() engages the notch on the end of the arm 3. The mail bag is thus caught between the arms 3 and 8 and is securely locked and held in this position. At the same time the impact of the bag against the arm 3 disengages the notch 13 from the end of spring 12 and the entire frame, to gether with the bag, spins around on pivot 6, this relieving the otherwise great shock which would result from the impact of the bag with the catcher. It will be seen that the arms 8 and 9 together constitute a forked pivot member adapted to move in the slot of the relatively ixed arm 3, while after the impact of the bag against the device the entire apparatus turns freely around the pivot 6 until the momemtum is suiiiciently overcome for the spring 12 to hold the catcher frame by engaging the notch 13.

What I claim is:

1. A mail bag catcher comprising a pivotally mounted frame carrying a counterbalancing and a curved arm, said curved arm being provided with a longitudinal slot, a

cooperating with said curved arm, and

means for locking said catching member and` said curved arm together.'

2. A mail bag catcher comprising a pivot'- ally mounted frame carrying oppositely projecting counterbalancing and curved arms, said curved arm being provided vwith a longie tudinal slot, and a catching member pivoted to said frame and consisting of diverging arms one of which has a movement through the slot in said curved arm and the other being adapted to have a locked engagement with said curved arm.

3. A mail bag catcher comprising a support, a Jframe pivotally mounted thereon and comprising an oppositely disposed curved arm and a counterbalancing arm, said curved arm being provided with a longitudinal slot and carrying affastening catch at its outer end, and a catching member pivoted to said frame and consisting of diverging arms one of which is adapted to have a movement through said slot in the curved arm andthe other being provided with a locking latch adapted to engage with the catch carried by the said curved arm. l

4. A mail bag catcher comprising a frame pivoted to swing in ahorizontal plane, said rame comprising a counterbalancing anda curved arm'mounted on opposite sides of the pivot, a curved catcher arm adapted to c0- ope'r'ate with said first-named arm, and a Spring' @a1-,ch for rocking said 'two 'arms to ,gethen frame pivotally mounted thereon and pro-` vided With a `counterbalancin arm and a curved arm, a catching mem er pivotally mounted on said frame and consisting of arms, and a spring carried by said support and engaging said catching member for normally retaining the same in a bag catching position.

7. In combination a mail bag catcher comprising a support, a frame ivotally mounted thereon and provided witi a'bag receiving arm, a catching member pivoted to said frame and provided with diverging arms one of which interlocks with said bag receiving arm, and a mail bag crane carried by a car for holding a bag in position to be caught byV said catching member.

In testimony whereof, I aiijX signature in presence of two witnesses. A

'GEORGE eI3'.I1`IELI)., Witnesses:

BYRON S. BUTLER, C. A. ALLHANDs. 

